![]() How does this fund work? The Colorado SAR Fund is a state-administered pool of money that can reimburse a county sheriff and it's search and rescue agency for expenses **they** might incur in search and rescue missions. Colorado sheriffs do not have statutory authority to charge for search and rescue, one of their statutory responsibilities. Colorado's volunteer search and rescue teams (which accounts for all but one Colorado SAR team) do not charge for service. A portion of the price of the new Colorado Habitat Stamp, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card (CORSAR card - which is a voluntary way for hikers, climbers, backcountry skiers and the like to contribute to the fund), Colorado fishing and hunting licenses, and all boat, snowmobile and off-road vehicle registrations goes into the Colorado SAR fund.ĭon't infer these cards, stamps, licenses and registrations serve as "search and rescue insurance." "Insurance" implies a bill for services will be sent. Since 1988, Colorado has had a "Search and Rescue Fund" - the first of its kind in the nation. The "CORSAR Card" and the Colorado Search and Rescue Fund What have we learned here - If you need to be rescued in the mountainous terrain of Jefferson County, you should expect a bill from the Fire Departments Hopefully this information is useful and I am sorry for being so long winded!! Section (e) of 32-1-1002 Fire Protection districts - additional powers and duties The question as to whether this gentleman should pay for the rescue part of this incident is up to an interpretation of the State Statutes! Having a CORSAR card in this incident in Clear Creek Canyon would not change the charging policies that these two Fire Departments currently have. Operational expenses do not include indirect operating expenses, such as stand-by costs, of vehicles and equipment owned by a unit of local government. Operational expenses do not include any salary, overtime or stipend paid to any person permanently employed by a SAR agency or political subdivision of the state (-1, Article XI). It is not, and never was, intended to benefit in any way the subject (patient, victim) of a SAR mission. The Colorado SAR Fund is a state-administered pool of money that can reimburse a county sheriff and it's search and rescue agency for expenses they might incur in search and rescue missions. If a subject in a mountain SAR incident has either a CORSAR card, a fishing or hunting license, a snowmobile registration or a habitat card, that incident is then eligible for reimbursement from the SAR fund. ![]() When we talk about the CORSAR card and charging, they are two separate items. As for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, they also did not charge the subjects in this incident. The Alpine Rescue Team has never charged for its services in its 48 years of operations. The charges that have been talked about in the media are from the Golden Fire Department and the West Metro Fire Department. This is very odd since the Alpine Rescue Team has a signed agreement with the Jefferson County Sheriff and the Commissioners to serve as the primary response team for search and rescue in Jefferson County The Alpine Rescue Team was the third agency to respond to this incident and did not participate in the technical rescue. They in turn requested mutual aid from the West Metro Fire Department. The Golden Fire Department was the initial agency called for this incident. In reading the posts concerning this incident in Clear Creek Canyon, the facts are as follows. It is my hope that I would be able to answer or at the least, clarify concerns that folks might have about the CORSAR cards and the CO SAR fund. I am currently a member of the Alpine Rescue Team and also serve on the State Advisory Board for the SAR fund. The topic of CORSAR cards and billing subjects for their rescue is very important to me. They meet 2004 FEMA Standards as a Type 1 Mountain Rescue Team.įor a synopsis of what happened, Woody has made a post on the 14ers site: It is important to note that there is a fully MRA accredited team that can respond to this canyon but was incorrectly described in the news as not available, though since, it has been corrected: ![]() Which you may have already had the pleasure of reading in the news: What happened next is similar to the post I had discussed last year: ![]() Since this incident involved a hiker I expected climbers to overlook this but there is a big problem here. As you all may already be aware, a party of 3 hiking in the canyon this past week had one member suffer an injury to an ankle and requested aid.
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